SCA practice case · Video consultation
“Acne in a 16-year-old”
Video consultation
Young person patient
Someone else speaking
Typical
Children & young peopleMental health & addiction
The candidate brief
This is what you would read in the 3-minute window before the patient connects. Read it once, note two or three hypotheses and one thing you must not miss, then stop.
Patient
Sophie Edwards · 16 years · female
Setting
Video appointment, mother is also on the screen.
Past history
- Nil significant
- GCSEs this summer (per mother's booking note)
Medication
- No regular medication
- OTC tried: benzoyl peroxide 5% (stopped — stinging), tea-tree oil
Allergies
NKDA
Recent notes
Appointment booked by mother (Karen): "Acne getting really bad, over-the-counter not working, she's not coping — needs something stronger."
Reason for contact
Video consultation. Mother is also on screen.
Practise this case
The full case is in the Hot Seat with the Gold plan. You get a 12-minute timer, a role-player script with facts released only when asked, examiner checkpoints by the three RCGP domains, a model consultation and the guidance behind it.
What this case tests
Show the learning points (spoiler: read after you have practised)
Adolescent acne is almost always also a psychological consultation. The marking failure is letting a parent dominate the airtime and leaving without hearing from the patient themselves. Topical adapalene/BPO is the first-line structure NICE recommends; oral antibiotics are time-limited adjuncts; isotretinoin is consultant-prescribed.
The guidance behind it
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